well, that's correct for a very formal letter. i use it sometimes.

Don't worry Kate, it seems crazy to us French too, it's so old-fashioned and formal!

@@mgparis that's what i said, it's used in very formal letters. Sometimes you need to write such formal ones. the informal, familiar or slang is not the only way to express yourself.

I'd say that "salut" is definitely less formal, too casual to say it to the hotel clerk (you'd be saying "hi" to someone whom you do not know well PLUS who is working his profession). Europeans and South Americans (basically, everyone else in the world except North Americans) are more formal when it comes to business interactions. If you leave the hotel while seeing the clerk (knowing that you will likely see him/her again in a short while or later that day), a simple "au revoir" should suffice, and then a polite "rebonjour" upon returning. What if you need to leave again knowing that you'd be returning yet again soon thereafter? I think saying a 2nd or 3rd "rebonjour" or "salut encore" each time thereafter would be awkward, might even make you look silly. In that case, possibly a simple & subtle nod (in a tilting downward motion, not in an upward motion as if to say "hey again, my bro") would be best; you'd still be politely acknowledging the hotel clerk's presence as you return the 2nd or 3rd time while not sounding awkward. Either way, I save my "hi" or "hi again" for my close friends and family. This is how we do it in the Hispanic or Latin world, and even here in the US (avoiding awkwardness yet giving and receiving respectful acknowledgements where appropriate).

@@D_Marrenalv I've been pretty much saying, "Bonjour" then "Rebonjour" the 2nd time (unless the hotel clerk says "bonjour" again first because I'm American, and me saying "rebonjour" might be like I'm pointing out a mistake), then a nod of the head. I guess that seems to work!

no it's kind of the polite equivalent of " stay away from me ! sucker! you stink! "

You're joking ! David can say "À un de ces jours". It's not derogatory.

then it's just "bonne soirée".

Rather "rebonjour" - Fabien CUF Team

* Géraldine

"Au revoir, bonne journée" = Goodbye, have a good day ; it's perfectly fine to use it, in fact, it's the common way, specially during the first half of a day ? If it's the afternoon, say: Goodbye, have a nice afternoon = "Au revoir, bon après-midi", or at the end of the day say: Goodbye, have a nice evening = "Au revoir, bonne soirée"

@@wattana62 Thanks, Rugball. I try to use the right one but am frequently perplexed either because before I open my mouth I've forgotten to check what time it is(!) or - and here I'd be grateful for advice - if I'm saying goodbye to someone in a shop/who is still working, I feel it might be a bit odd to say bonne journée/ bon après-midi when the person is clearly going to be stuck at work for the next several hours and thus, one might think it unlikely they will be having a particularly good day and saying have a good day/afternoon and walking out into the sunshine might be rubbing their nose in the fact that they're still stuck there. Or am I reading too much into this?😁 (I would rather chew my own foot off than be rude to someone!)

​@@alisonkempster4229 Don't worry, there is absolutely no problem to say Bon après-midi or Bonne journée to people staying at work (after all you wish them the better for the rest of the day). But if you prefer/are more comfortable stick to a simple Au revoir

@@wattana62 Ouf ! Merci, Rugball :) C'est un soulagement! Maintenant, je peux arrêter de m'inquiéter pour tous ces commerçants envers qui je n'ai pas été discourtoise, après tout ! 😅

You'll actually hear "bon matin" a lot in Canada. My francophone colleagues use it every day.

@@Trigg6978I know that it is used in Canada, but again: Good Morning does NOT exist in French... I do not know why it does not exist, but it does NOT EXIST IN FRENCH.. In Canada it is used bc. of english. They are extremely influenced by english. It is an Expression that is from english.. And again: Good Morning does NOT exist in French.

"Bonjour" is literally "Good day", as even many people in the english-speaking world used to say "good day" decades ago upon greeting, especially in the UK. So saying "good day" (bonjour) in France is understood to mean "good morning". In the latinsphere, the hispanics say "buenos dias" or "buen dia" (good day) for "good morning", the italians say "buongiorno" (good day/good morning), the portuguese say "bom dia" (good day/good morning), and even the germans say "guten Tag" (good day) for good morning, though the germans do commonly use the more specific "guten Morgen" to say "good morning", like we do in the english-speaking world.

That works. "Vous/toi aussi" or "pareillement".

I'm sure the younger people in France (mostly in the larger cities) would say it, just like many young english-speaking people in the anglosphere say "ciao" to their english-speaking close friends or cousins upon leaving.. But certainly not to store clerks (younger or older) or to people you don't know.. nor to anyone older than you (even older relatives).

@@D_Marrenalv merci !